Fruit treating apparatus



c. P. wlLsoN ETAL 1,830,180

FRUIT TREATING APPARATUS Filed Maron 5. 192e Nov. 3, .1931?,

6 Sheets-Sheet 1 S5 k, QQNANQM..

Filed March 5. 1928 Sheets-Sheet Nm@ FRUIT TRETNG APPARATUS Filed March5. 1.928 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 NNQ M, NQS

Nov. 3, 1931. c. P. WILSON ET AL FRUIT TREATING APPARATUS FiledMarch 5.1928 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 T Toe/v5 y I PatentediNlov.. 3, 1931 'UNITEDSTATES .PATENT ori-ica CLARENCE P. WILSON, OF ONTARIO, AND ROBERT D.NEDVIDEK, Ol' TOHONA, CALL. FORNIA, ASSIGNORS TO CALIFGR-NIA FRUITGROWERS EXCHANGE, OI' LOB ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OFCALIFORNIA A f I ,raum 'rma-:Na arrmrus Application ma umn s, 162s,-seriai no. 259,138.

Our invention4 relates to the' fruit packing art, and particularly toprocesses therein in which the fruit is passed through one or moretreating liquids.

In packing fruits for shipment, it is generally necessary to wash thefruit to render it more salable. In many cases, the fruit is also passedthrough a liquid such as a fungicide or a deterrent to the formation ofcertain n, dangerous molds so that the fruit will remain e; the dirtsoftened by this soaking in a special orange washer.

Leaving the washer, the oranges pass through a rinsing spray of freshwater 'and into a tank containing a liquid which retards so decay of theoranges by killing or retarding the growth of an mold spores carriedthereby; Examples o such liquids in general use at present for thispurpose are solutions of borax and solutions of sodium bicarbonate.

.y 3 5 In fact, many fungicides might be used as decay retardants, butfor convenience in disclosing the invention, this treating bath `will bedescribed als comprising a solution of borax.

In the packingprocessgenerally followed, `the oranges are removed fromthe borax bath, rinsed by a sp1-a of fresh water, and enter a drier inwhich a l water is removed Afrom the surfaces of the oranges, afterwhich' the 45 oranges are sized, wrapped, and packed in boxes for shiment.

In the was ing and boraxing steps of the acking process outlined above,the soap and orax solutions become so 'filled with dirt and 50 moldspores in one or two days of continuous use that they are discarded andfresh solutions are prepared with which to continue the.. packingprocess. This frequent renewal of these solutions constitutesaconsiderable item of expense in the total packing costs. Moref over,unless an outfall sewer is available, these solutions will ultimately bedischargedl onto land which will tend to become alkaline or otherwisetoxic to plants and non-productive after a certain amount of thesesolutions have been absorbed thereby.

It is correspondingly an object of our in. vention to provide a methodof and a paratus for applying a liquid treatment to ruit in which atreating liquid may be kept ,in use Ifor a relatively long period beforeits renewal is required. I

It is. the customary practice to discharge' the used rinse water,containing soap 4or borax, into the sewer so that there is a con-- stantloss of these substances. This must be offset by adding at shortintervals, quantities of soap or borax to the treating so1utions.

It is a further obect of our invention to f3 4 provide a method o andapparatus for applying a liquid treatment to fruit in which losses oftreating liquid in the rinse water are substantially eliminated.

In the present practice, the boraicv solution 'is not completely rinsedrom'the oranges so that speaks of crystallized boi-ax sometimes appearon the fruit after it is dried. This spoils the appearance'of thefruit'and decreases its value.

It is yet another object of our invention to provide a method of andapparatus for applying a liquid treatment to fruit in which a .treatingliquid is practically entirely removed from the fruit at the conclusionof the 9 Figs. 3 and 4, taken together, form a side 100 elevational viewof the apparatus shown in ig. is a plan view of a modified form of theclarifying apparatus of our invention. 5 Fi .l 6is a side elevationalview of the clari-` fier owninFig.5.

F' 'lis a diagrammatic view, illustrating s, mfied form of apparatus forconserving a treating liquid.

Referring specilically to the drawings, and particularly to Fig. 1, 2,3, and 4:

A liquid treating apparatus includes a so tank 11, a washer 12, a boraxtank 13, la cla er 14, and a wiper 15, all of which are mounted upon afloor 16.

The soaking tank 11 isada ted to contain a warm solution' of soap.ountcd on the sides of the tank 11 is a submerger 19 which includes aslet-belt rotatably mounted on long pulleys 21 and rovided withtransversel extending pad es 22 which extend into the soap solution inthe tank 11 as thebelt 20 is rotated in the direction of the arrow 23 ata slow rate by a suitable driving means. Connecting the intake end of acentrifugal circulating pump 25 with a manifold pipe 26,

and disposed in the right-hand end of the tank 11, is a pipe 27.Connecting a perforated pipe 28V in the left-hand end of the tank 11with the discharge end of the pump 25 is a pipe 29 having a valve 30.For a purpose to be described later, a soap spray pipe 31, having avalve 32, connects with the pipe 29. It is thus seen that when the pump25 is operated, a How of the soap solution in the tank 11 is set up inthe direction of an arrow 33, in which-direction the paddles 22 on thelower Hight of the Slat-belt 20 travel beneath the surface of the soapsolution in the tank @t9 11. The current of soap solution thus set upassists in carryi 'g an?1 oranges dumped into the left-hand end o thetank 11 so t at they will be submerged and carried by the submerger 19to the rightfhand end of the e# tank 11 where they are allowed .to riseto the surface of the soap solution. The fioor of the tank 11 slo es toa central point therein where the tank is connected through a fitting36, a valve 37, and a pipe 38 to a sewer pipe l ,59 39 which extendslongitudinally underneath the tank 11, the washer 12, the borax tank 13and the wiper 15. Connected to the fitting 36, for a purpose to bedescribed later, is a i pi 40 having a valve 41.

e washer 12 includes a housing 50, a bottom 51 of which is preferablyformed of metal and has a left-hand drain pipe 52 and a righthand drainpipe 53. The drain pipe 53 has a valve 54 and connects with the sewerpipe v150 39. Mounted in the housing 50, with their axes lying in asingle horizontal plane, is a plurality of rotar brushes 55. Suitablemeans are provide for rotating the brushes 55 in the same direction, andthread-like for- 05 mations 56, provided on the exterior of these veyoran yends of t e brushes 55, into the leftand end brushes, effect afeeding action whereby oranges, placed on the brushes 55 at their leftvof the rotary brushes 55, is a roll-conveyer which is provided withsuitable mounting" and rotating means so that oranges, carried by thesubmerger 20 into the right-hand end of the tank 11, are conveyed by theconveyer 60 onto the left-hand end of the brushes 55.

The pipe 31, previously mentioned, extends upward and connects with aperforated soap solution spray pipe 61 which is disposed laterallyacross the left-hand end of the washer 12 so that when the valve 32 is on slightly, the pumpl 25 will cause soap so ution to be spra ed from theperforated pipe 61 onto the leftand ends of the brushes 55. Disposedtransversely across the washer 12 is a erforated rinse pipe 64 which isconnecte to a water main 65 so that freshwater is continually sprayedfrom the pi e 64 onto the brushes 55 at a short distance rom therighthand end of these brushes.

The borax tank 13 is almost identical in Aconstruction with the soakingtank 11, and

has a submerger 68 of the sam'e character as the submerger 20, mountedon the sides thereof. Mounted on the floor 16, at the righthand end ofthe borax tank 13, is a centrifugal pump 69, the intake end of which isconnected to a perforated pipe 70 disposed in the righthand end of thetank 13, and the discharge end of the pump 69 is connected by a pipe'71with a perforated ipe 72 disposed in the left-hand end of the Eorax tank13. The pipe 71 has a valve 73 and is connected with a pi e 74 having avalve 75, for a purpose to be e` scribed hereafter. The borax tank 13contains a solution of borax which almost fills the tank.

Disposed between the washer 12 and the borax tank 13 is a chute orgravity conveyer 78, formed of slats, which is adapted to oons,discharged from the ri ht-hand of the borax tank 13.

Whenthe valve 75 yis substantially closed and the pump 69 operated, acurrent of borax solution is set up from left to right in the borax tank13. As the submerger 68 rotates slowly in the direction of the arrow 80,the blades thereof submergeand carry oranges discharged from theconveyer 78 from the left end to the right end of the tank 13.

Disposed beneath `the gravity conveyer 78, and draining into theright-hand end of the washer housing bottom 51, is a drip pan 82. Thebottom of thel tank 13 slopes toward a central point therein where thetank connects with a drain pipe 83 having a valve 84 charge 45 smellingbecause of the develo and a fitting 86. Connected with the fitting 86,for a is a ipe 8 having a valve 88.

e clarifier 141s of a standard type, such as used for clari ing liquidsof suspended matter, and inclu es a centrifuge 90 driven by a motor 91and havin an intake pipe 92 and an outlet pipe93. l has a valve 95 andis connected to the dispipe 96 of a centrifugal pump 97. The dischargepipe 96 hasl a valve 98 and connects wi-t a storage tank pipe 99 havinga valve 100. The pipe 99 leads to a storage tank 101.

I Disposed beneath the drain pi e 52 of the washer housing bottom 51 isa col ecting tank 105, which drains into a pi 106 having a valve 107which connects w1t a pipe 108 havi ing a valve 109 and which in turnconnects .2Q W7ith the intake end of the centrifugal pump i 9 The pipe108 also connects with the pipe 40. The pipe 87 also connects with theintake end of the pump 97.

By leaving certain of the valves 41, 88, 107,

and 109 closed, and other of these valves open, liquid may be drawn intothe intake end of the pump 97 from lany one or any group of the tanks1113, or 105. The outlet pipe 93 59 of the clarifier 14 isconnected'through a valve 112 to a pipe 113 which discharges into thesoaking tank 11, and through a valve 114 to aipipe 115 which dischargesinto the borax tan 13.

3? The operationof the-clarifier 14 in conjunction with the soaking tank11, the Washer 12 and the borax tank 13, is as follows:l

As oranges are fed through the apparatus.

10, the soap solution in the tank 11 gradu- 49 ally becomes filled withdirt and other matter washed from the surfaces of the oranges passingtherethrough, so that the action' of this solution becomes considerablyless effective, and the solution becomes very foul v pmentof'putrefactive organisms necessitating, under the present practice,that this solution be drained into the sewer at the end of one to eightdays continuous operation. In our apparatus,

5.0 however, we provide for the clarifying of the soap solution in thetank 11 by the clarifier 14. This may be accomplished b continuousoperation of the clarifier 14, or y operating this intermittently.

. In the method of continuously clarifying the soap solution, the valves37, 88, 100, 107,

and 114 are closed, while the valves 41. 109,y

95, `98, and 112 are open. The centrifugal pump 97 is operated and themotor 91 is energizcd so as to set in operation the centrifuge 90 of theclarifier 14. Thepump 97 then draws soap solution from the bottom of thesoaking tank 11 and forces this upward into the lower end of thecentrifuge 90. The soap solution is clarified n the centrifuge andreurpose to be described hereafter,

he intake pipe 92v turned through the outlet pipe'93 and the.-

pipe 13 into the soaking tank 11. As the dirt 1n suspension in thesoaking solution tends in an active state so that it is effective inremoving the dirt from the stream of oranges n passing through the tank11. Bacteria mold spores and other dead and living organisms are removedwith the other dirt and sediment.

The intermittent method of clarifying the soap solution in the tank 11permits the soap solution to remain in use for a period of several hoursat a time without being clarified, and then either clarifying, asindicated above, or shutting down the apparatus 10 and clariing thisentire body of soap solution in t e tank 11 at once. This isaccomplished by having the valves 37, 88, 95, 107, and 114 closed, andthe valves 41, 98, 100, and 109 open. The pump 97 is now operated so asto draw all of the soap solution from the tank 11 and force this throughthe discharge pipe 96 and the storage tank pipe 99 into the storage tank101 which'is situated at an elevation above the clarifier 14. The valves41, 109, and 98 are-now closed and the operation of the pump 97discontinued. The valve 95 is now opened and the clarifier 14 is set inoperation. The soap solution thus asses by gravity through the pipe 99andftlxie intake pipe 92 into the centrifuge 90, where it is clarifiedand dischargedthrough the pipes 93 and 113 into the soaking tank 11.'

, While the .soap solution is stored in the storage tank 101 andafterthe valve '41 has been shut, the sewer valve 37 isopened and thetank 11 is cleaned out with a hose and broom or other suitable andeffective means so that allthe dirt and slime adhering to the innersurface of the tank passes through the pipe 38 into the pipe 39. Afterlthe tank 11 is thus cleaned, the valve 37 is closed and the soapsolution in the tank 101 is clarified and returned to the soaking tank11.

When operating continually over fairly long' periods of time, thecontinuous process of clarification is preferable, but when it iscustomary to shut down the apparatus 10 at noon and at night, theintermittent process may be used, the clarification being accomplishedwhen the apparatus is normally not being operated.

The soap solution, sprayed from the-manifold 61 on the left-hand ends ofthe brushes 55, is flung from these brushes against the inner walls ofthe housing 50 and drains through thepipe 52 intothe collecting tankvits passage from theA clarifier back to the clarification. The suctionof the pump 97' causes the soa solution in the tank 105 to be drawn fromt e pipe 106 into the pipe 108,

soa `tank 11. l

By lvision of the floor 51 of the housing l 50, so that the left-handportion thereof may be drainedseparately from the right-hand portion' ofthis floor, the drippings of strong soa solution from the brushes 55 arerecove ,"as.. above described, and the amount of soa 'isolation whichpasses into the sewer wit the rinse water is relatively small. lin theast, all Vthe soap solution drained from the rushes 55 has been allowedto pass into the sewer on account of the great amount of dirt containedin this solution. In the apparatus 10, however, by far the greaterpoirtion of this solution is salvaged. I

As fruit leaves the washer`12 on the gravity conveyer 78, a certainamount of soapimpregnated rinse water drips from this conveyer. Thiswater is collected upon the drip pan 82 and returned to the right-handend of the housing .floor 5l of the washer 12, from which it passes withtherest of the used rinse water into the sewer. A certain amount ofsoap, however, is carried by the fruit into the borax solution in theborax tank 13. This soap, together with particles of oranges crushed inthe washer 12 and delivered into the borax solution, and also mycelialgrowth, mold spores, bacteria, and organisms which grow in the boraxsolution, such as sporotrichum, cladosporium, etc., cause the boraxsolution to become filled with suspended matter after a certain periodof operation of the aparatus 10, so as to again cause the fruit to ecomedirty or to impair the effectiveness of this solution in preventingdecay of the fruit passing therethrough which, of course, is the primarypur ose of the borax treatment. It is, there ore, the purpose of ourinvention to utilize the clarifier 14 to clarify the borax solution inthe tank 13, in a manner similar to that used in clarifying the solutionin the soaking tank 11, so that the bora-x solution may be continued inuse over a practically indefinite period of time, thereby eliminatingthe necessity of discarding the borax solution after two or three days,thus avoiding the danger to vegetation and saving the cost of renewingthe borax solution at such frequentintervals.

.The clarification of the borax solution may also be accomplished byq'ther continuous or intermittent operation'of the clarifier 14. Tocontinuously clarify the borax solution, the

valves s4', 109,100, and 112 are closed, and

Valves 88, 98, 95, and 114 are opened. The

pump 97 and the clarifier. 14 are now set in 'I the clarifier 14, and incase it 1s more desirable to continually clarify the soapv solutionduring the operation of the a paratus 10, the borax solution will beclarifie intermittently,

while the apparatus 10'is shut down in the following manner: l

The valves 84, 109, 95, and 112 will be closed and the valves 88, 98,and 100 opened. The

pump 97 is now set in operation so as to draw the borax solution fromthe tank 13 and force this into the storage tank 101. This beingcompleted, the valves 88 and 98 are closed and the operation of the pump97 discontinued. The valves and 114 are now opened and the clarifier 14set in operation so that theA borax solution is drawn from the storagetank 101, clarified and returned to the tank 13. While the boraxsolution is stored inthe tank 101, the v'alve 84 would of coursey beopened and the tank 13 cleaned out in a similar manner as previouslymentioned regarding the soaking tank 11, after which.'the valve 84 wouldagain be closed so that the tank 13 would be ready to receive theclarified borax solution.

The economy effected by the clarifying of the treating solutions in theapparatus 10 results in a considerable reduction of the total cost ofpacking fruit. Moreover, owing to the fact that the sewage from thepacking house is nearly all discharged onto land and that soap and boraxhave a decidedly detrimental efect upon the fertility of soil, ourinvention also saves the land upon which the sewage is run from beingultimately made barren by the accumulation of soapy and borax thereon.

In thepresent practice of packing oranges,

,the oranges are removed from the borax tank 13 and withouttlle Aorangesbeingl given more than a very short time. for draining the boraxsolution therefrom, they are passed under a fre water rinse spray, andused rinse carrying the borax solution is washed from the oranges anddiscarded. We `have discovered" that the loss of borax solution `fromthis source amounts to a considerable item of ex-` horizontal upper andlower frames 120 and 121 which are supported upon standards 122 restingupon the floor 16. Mounted on the lower frame 121 is a live rollerconveyer 125, the upper flight of which moves from left to right, asshown in Fig. 4. The conveyer 125 is shown as horizontal, but may beinclined so as to elevate the fruit conveyed thereon. Opposite ends ofthe rollers in the upper flight of the conveyer 125 travel on trackswhich rotate these rollers and thus cause the rotation of any fruitcarried thereon. Mounted on the standards 122, beneath the conveyer 125and sloping to the left so that the left-hand edge thereof is disposedover the right-hand end of the borax tank 13, is a drip pan 126. It isdesired to point out here that the conveyer 125 and drip pan 126 are ofconsiderable length, as this is a feature of importance in the operationof the wiper 15.

Mounted between the left-hand end of the frame 121, and upon the wallsof the borax tank 13 so as to extend into the right-hand end of thelatter, is an inclined endless belt elevator 128, which is provided withsuitable operating mechanism so as to raise oranges from the right-handend of the borax tank 13 and deposit these upon the left-hand end of thelive roller conveyer 125. Mounted on the right-hand end of the elevator128 is a bridge 130 upon which the oranges are adapted to run from thehighest point of the elevator' 128 onto the conveyer 125.

Slidably mounted on the left-hand end of the upper horizontal frame 120is a pair of duplex bearings 135 which are yieldably urged leftward byspring mechanisms 136. Rotatably journalled in the bearings 135 arewringer rollers 137 and 138 which constitute a wringer 139. Slidablymounted on the right-hand end of the upper horizontal frame 120 is apair of single bearings 140 which are manually7 adjustable by theoperation of screw-crank mechanisms 141. Rotatably journalled in thebearings 140 is a belt pulley 142. Extending around the pulley 142 andthe roller 137 is a wiper belt 143, having wiper towels 144 secured byone edge thereto. A belt tightening roller 145 is mounted on arms 146'which are pivotally connected with the upper frame 120 so that theweight of the roller 145 rests downward on the belt 143. Suitable means,not shown, is provided for driving` the belt pulley 142 so as to rotatethe belt 143 in the direction of arrow 148 and cause the towels 144 tobe dragged from right to left over fruit carried from left to right onthe upper flight on the live roller conveyer 125. In a manner well knownin the art, the fruit carried on the live roller conveyer 125 is rotatedin the opposite direction to that in which the rollers of this conveyerare rotated.

Thus, the entire surfaces of the oranges carried on the conveyer`125 aresubjected to the wiping action of the towels 144.

The distance between the rollers 137 and 138 is shown in thediagrammatic illustration of Fig. 4 as fixed, but it is to be understoodthat accordin to the practice in the art, these rollers may e adjustablerelative to each other so that any desired pressure may be brought tobear upon the towels 144 in the wringer 139. v

The pipe 74, previously mentioned, extends upward beyond the valve andis provided With a nozzle 150 which is adapted to direct a spray ofborax solution upon the towels 144 just before these pass through thewringer 139. This is accomplished by leaving the valve 75 slightly openduring the operation of the borax solution circulating pump 69. Disposedabove the conveyer 128 and below the up er end ofthe nozzle 150 is adrip pan 152, t e right-hand edge of which has a ,roller 153 over whichthe towels 144 pass, and the left-hand edge of which is rovided with adrain spout 154 which discharges any liquid, dripping into the pan 152from the towels 144, into the right-hand end of the tank 13.

The belt 143 moves at a. fairly slow rate so that there is aconsiderable evaporation of Water therefrom and a tendency thus to con-I centrate any borax solution carried by the towels 144. Thisconcentration would evenl tually result in crystallization of'borax fromthe solution if this solution were not diluted by the spray from thenozzle 150 which practically fills the towels 144 with borax solution ofnormal strength. The borax solution wiped from the oranges is thusdiluted and, when wrung from the towels by the wringer 139, vdrips ontothe drip pan 152 and is returned by the spout 1 54 to the borax tank 13.

It is to be understood, however, that when a sulicient amount of waterevaporates from the towels 144 to make it possible, the nozzle 150 maybe connected with the fresh water main 65 so that fresh water issprayed'upon Ithe towels instead of a solution of borax. In

case this is done, the towels 144 will be practically free of borax whenthey first contact the oranges on the right end of the conveyer 125.

This results in the fruit discharged from the right-hand end of theconveyer 125 being not only practically dry, but almost entirely freefrom borax which, as previously mentioned, causes white spots on theoranges where the borax solution is allowed to dry on the oranges. It isalso desired to point out that this is accomplished with a very smallloss of borax solution.

In case it is desired, the extremely small amount of borax adhering tothe oranges when these leave the wiper 15 may be removed by a suitabledry brush polisher, several types of which are well known in the art.

...pao

f From the above description of the a paratus 10 and its o eration, itwill be seen t at we have produce a method of and apparatus for applyinga liquid treatment to ruit 1n which the treating liquid is applied -witha marked economy in comparison with similar methods in general use atpresent. 'i While we have shown but a single type of wiper 15, it is tobe understood that any suitable device for removing a liquid from thesurface of the fruit without materially diluting that liquid or injuringthe fruit might be used in place of the wiper 15.

Referring now to Figs. 5 and 6, a filtering a paratus 165 is shown whichmay be used ihr clarifying the borax solution in the 'borax tank 13 whenan inexpensive clarify-` ing apparatus is desired and when clarifica`tion of a soap solution is not necessary.

The filtering apparatus 165 includes a filtering tank 166 having anupper port 167 and a lower port 168, as well as a drain pipe 169provided in the bottom thereof. The port 167 connects through a fitting17 0 with a pipe 171 having a valve 172, the pipe 171 extending`downward and connecting with the'sewer pipe 39. The upper port 167 alsoconnects with apipe 175 having a valve 17 6. The port 168 connectsthrough a fitting 178 179 connects with the pipe 171 through a fitting181. The port 168 also connects with a pipe 182 which has a valve 183and which extends, downward and then't'ransversely, so that the lowerend discharges over the borax tank 13. The fresh water main is con- Anected through suitable piping with the fittings 170 and 178 throughvalves 184 and 185 respectively` for a purpose to be describedhereinafter. A centrifugal circulating pump 186 is provided. the intakeend of which is connected to a pipe 187 which has a valve 188 and whichconnects with the drain fitting 86 of the bora-x tank 13. Alsoconnecting with the intake end of the pump .186 is a pipe 189 which hasa valve 190 and which connects with the bottom'of a reserve tank 191.-Connecting with the discharge end of the pump 186 is a pipe 192, havinga check valve 193 connecting through a tting 194 wih the pipe 175 andalso with a pipe 196 having a valve 197 and discharging downward intothe upper end of the reserve tank 191.

The filtering tank 166 is filled with strata of sand. of varyingdegreesl of coarseness, or with any other suitable solid filteringmaterial, many of which are well known in the art. The clarification ofa liquid accomplished by the filtering apparatus 165 is due to retentionof suspended matter from the .liquid to be filtered by the strata ofsand in the tank 166. I

The apparatus 165 may bev utilized to con'- tinuously or intermittentlyclarify the borax to a pipe 179 having a valve 180. The pipe",

solution in the tank 13 in a similar manner as previously described forthe clarifier 14.

When tbe apparatus 165 is continuously i pipe 192, the check valve 193,the pipe 175,

and valve 176 into the upper port 167 of the filtering tank 166. TheboraX solution thus discharged into the upper end of the tank l 166filters downward through the various strata therein and is dischargedthrough the lower port 168 from which it passes through the pipe 182back to the borax tank 13. The filtering of the borax solution may becontinued in this manner until the solution discharged from the pipe 182indicates that the interstices of the sand in the tank 166 have becomefilled with matter removed from the solution, and that the sand 'hastherefore ceased to completely clarify the solution. When this happens,the pump 186 is shut' down, and the borax solution present in the filtertank 166 is allowed to drain out of the sand by gravity, this solutionfiowing through the lower port 168 and the pipe 182 into the boraX tank13. The valves 188, 17 6, and 183 are now shut, and thevalves 185 and172 opened. This admits fresh water under pressure from Athe fresh watermain 65 through the valve 185 and the fitting 178 into the lower end ofthe filtering tank 166. This fresh water travels upward through the sandstrata in the tank 166 and out .through the upper port 167, from whichit flows through the valve 172 and pipe 171 into the sewer pipe 39. Thisflushing action is termed back-washing and is continued until the sandin the tank 166 is cleaned, after which the continuous filtration of theborax solution is taken up again as previously described. v

The intermittent clarification of the borax forced upward through thepipes 192 and 196 into the reserve tank 191. When the tank 13 is empty,the valves 188, and 197 are closed, and the valves 190 and 17 6 areopened. At this time, the valve 84 is temporarily openedto permit thecleaning of the tank 13, as previously described, aft-er which thisvalve is closed. The pump 186 is again set in operation so as to drawborax solution from thereserve tank 191 through the pipe 189 anddischarge it upwardly through the pipes 192 and 175 into the upper endof the sand filter-166. The boraxsolution, filtered 55 water to thesewer.

assenso A Z by its downward passage through the sand in the tank 166, isdischarged through lthe lower port 168 and the pipe 182 into the boraxtank 13.

6 In the apparatus 165, the reserve tank may be at any desired level asthe solution is transferred to and from the reserve tank b the operationof the pump 186. The filtering apparatus 165 lis preferably used onlyV10 for clarifying the borax solution because this type of filter in itspresent development is.

' not successful in clarifying soap solutions.

Referring now to Fig. 7, We will describe a fruit rinslng apparatus 199Which includes l5 the tank 13 and submerger 68, as well as an endlessbelt conveyer 200 extending into the right-hand end of the tank 13 forthe purpose of removing oranges therefrom. The conveyer 200 ispreferably considerably longer thanthe conveyer 128, shown in Fig. 4,and

is provided with a drip pan 201 for receiving any treating solution,which drips from the conveyer 200, and returning this solution to thetank 13. At the right-hand end of the conve ver 200, oranges carriedthereon are trans erred by a bridge202 to the left-hand end of a rinseconveyer 203 of the endless belt type. Disposed transversely across theleft-hand end of the rinse conveyer 203 is a fresh Water pipe 204 havingperforations through' which fresh Water is sprayed onto the orangespassing therebeneath. Disposed under the rinse conveyer 203 is a drippan 205 connected by a pipe 206 with the sewer 39.

In using the rinse apparatus 199, it will be noted that the only objectsleavingthe solution in the tank 13 from which borax solution is removedso thatl they do not return 40 to the tank 13 are the oran esthemselves.

In other Words, none of the orax solution,

adhering to the conveyer 200, is rinsed therefrom, as the rinse spray isnot directed on the oranges until they are transferred by the bridge 202onto the conveyer 203 which does l not come in direct contact at anytime with the borax solution in the tank 13.

We have found that it has previously been n customary in orange packinghouses to spray the rinse water upon the oranges While they were stilltraveling upon the conveyer which extends into the tank 13, so that theborax solution adhering to this conveyer would be washed olf and carriedwith the used rinse amount of borax solution being constantly removedfrom the tank 13 and Wasted. When a simple and 'inexpensive apparatus isdesired for effecting a considerable saving in 5 the amount of treatingsolution used, the apparatus 199 is recommended. Endlessbelt 'conveyorsof the type suitable to perform the functions of the'conveyers 200 and203 are already in use for various purposes in the majority of orangepacking houses.

Thisresulted in a great The economies effected by the above describedapparatus areevident in they follow ing comparison of the amounts ofboron compounds used in a packing house before and after theinstallation of this apparatus in this house. The packing house 1n whichthe y test was conducted handled 388,717 vfield boxes of oranges in oneyear.

Before installation of treating liquid conserving apparatus Pounds ofPercent of boron total boron compounds compounds l Borax treatingtank-discarded 4 times year y Borax added to soap soaking tank toprevent putrefaction-discarded 32 times yea y 4, 576 12. 66 Drip fromfruit conveyor 8, 603 23. 79 Rinse water 19. 073 52.

Total boron discarded 33, 580 92. 87 Carried out on rinsed fruit 2, 5797. 13

Total 36, 159 100. 00

Bora .9a/ved by using apparatus 1,99

Pounds of Percent oi boron total boron compounds compounds Bora: addedto soap soaking tank 2. 66 Borax treating tank 1, 3. G7 Rinse water 5,676 15 69 Drip from conveyer None. Cleaning tanks and fruit wiper Totalborax discarded 11, 679 82. Carried out on treated fruit 2, 579 7. Totalborex saved per yeux-... v 22, 001 w.

Total 38, 150 100. 00

Bora saved by no boram in the soap soaton but steriZiP/inq this b heatdwingA its return from the ciarij'er, and nein the decine 15 ron totalboron compounds compounds Borex added to soap soaking tank Bcrextreating tank inse water Drip 'from ccnveyer Cleaning tanks and fruitwiper...

Total borex discarded. Carried out on treated fruit. Total box-ax savedper'year- Total -..l

We claim as our invention:

In an apparatus for treating fruit, the combination of: a tank forcontaining a body of treating solution; means for causing a continuousmovement of fruit through said solution; an elevating conveyer againstwhich said fruit is directed by 'said means; means for returning to saidbody of solution that portion of said solution which drains from saidfruit on said elevating conveyer; a rinse Percent of I conveyer, thereceiving end of which is dis- 430 posed below the discharge end of saidelevat- 1mg conveyer; gravity means for transferring fruit from saidelevating conveyer to said rinse conveyer; means for applying relativelyclear Water to said fruit on said rinse'conveyer to rinse the remainderof solution therefrom; and means independent of said tank for receivingand disposing of said used rinse water.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto set our hands at Ontario,California, this 27 day of Februar 1928.

C ARENOE P. WILSON ROBERT D. NEDVIDEK.

